Boiler feed-regulator.



Patented NOV. 17, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

4 anaemic:

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R. M. HUNTER. BOILER FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION rum) 11120.26, 190a.

1,1 17,388. Patented Nov.17, 1914.

3 SHEETS SHEET 2.

i an I I g I 22 i W :IWEME "ll-MIL.

R. M= HUNTER.

BOILER FEED REGULATOR.

APPLIOATION rum use. 26, 190B.

1 ,1 17,388 Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

anwntoz n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M, HU NTEB, 01 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NORTHERN EQUIPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

BOILER FEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1'7, 1914.

Application tlled December 28, 1908. Serial No. 469,222.

av suitable construction of automatic water feed apparatus for steam boilers which shall be compact. simple, eflicient, inexpensive. durable and quickly responsive, and moreover be adapted for use with feed water supply pipes arranged high or low wit-h respect to the normal water level in the boiler.

My invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations thereof as fully described hereinafter and more particularly defined in the claims.

In general construction my improvements embody the following structures, all ('06 er ating for controlling the supply of water to the boiler during its normal operation. namely; a feed water main having an automatically operated control valve formed with two check valves connected to operate in unison and constitute a differential valve which opens for discharge of water into the boiler; a static device for holding the differential check valves closed u )on their seats to prevent passage of water t rough then an expansible element for operating the static device to remove its pressure upon the differential check valves whenever the water in the boiler reaches a point below the normal water level; a pump for pumping feed water into the boiler through the differential check valves, and a pump governor controlled by the pressure of the water upon each side of the differential check valve for puttingthe pump into operation only when the static device for holding the differential check valves closes upon their seats.

My invention further comprehends many details of construction of the above elements by which they are made efficient and adjustable and especially useful in this inventi-m.

My invention will be better understood by ecd reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is an elevation showing my invention applied to a steam boiler; Fig. 2

is a sectional elevation of the feed water conso trol valve and operative means therefor; 3 is another elevation of the same; Fig. 4 IS a detail view of a portion otthe same; Fig. is an elevation of the feed water control valve and its operative mechanism 6 adapted for use when the feed water pipe 15 low down with respect to the water level in the boiler; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on a large scale of the adjustable end of the expansible element and Fig. 8 i an elevation of one form of valve piece removed.

2 is a steam boiler of any suitable construction and is supplied with feed water from a boiler feed pump 6 by a pipe 7 provided with an automatic feed water control valve 8 and if desired with an ordinary check valve 10 andby a pipe 9 between said check valve and boiler. The control valve 8 is best shown in Fig. .2 and-is of a double check constructionin which the two connected pieces 13 and 14 are of slightly different areas and so set respectively upon the valve seats 11 and 12 that the pressure of the water from the pump tends to lift the 86 valves to pass into the boiler when the valves are not held to their seats by exter a1 means. As the pump pressure in the pipe 7 may be ten pounds or more greater than the boiler pressure when the valves are closed, it is 90 evident that a very considerable externally applied pressure shall be employed to hold the valves closed it of a single check eonstru'ction or of a balanced valve construction, and to overcome the necessity of employrng such excessive externally applied pressure I construct the two valves 13 and 14 that thev are of. different areas, so proportioned that the excess of pump pressure may be overcome by the employment of a not less than 10 poundsl the externally ap- 11 It will no. he understoodnthat. in: 105.

gamaguma may be redwzed to a miniur cmamypie, the area of tin. mivs m: half t0 um poupd per Squaw inch,

bsnne ckmmpad in any minim of adjustment abuut film waive bsy amt 17 Hinged to the yoke szi 2:3 a lever 53w! having a weight 26 for luamg This lever has a confiacbiox: wi n the, stem +21. The commotion com ,F 2-0 sazfswed 11pm the stem 1% and bzwmd m; m permit; the Reva: i 9; "m1 1". E it. above, Kim stem. Link I 21' uppm' ends t0; the head 25 are wnnmfiad at Elwir lower '2. 3; er by bait 5232 By this nonm-m 2. minimum ameunt of rictitm Of)- a-zmgifi and the, iaver;

ugpm part of the yoke 16 of imn m" c t-her metal g a Piaw cmtfizzient ufi'expsm m: 1m uppw and with a wakes;- 28", Batween thifi ix; 33 (if have-A 724 is ms? a6: eli'n'mnt 29 which we :wimn (3f swam when the i5 MW and. ta waiter whn as; manual 0:- abeve This 8 em: is in (he farm of a tube inf swam: m other highly expansible elemeni *zmefi braced into a collar 30 n raw-2d into the asket 28 0'? th: ham. M said mum. aliowing the attachment dwwh m withoui mjury to the tuzw.

The lower mm of the expansion tube 29 is hingmil in tin: ohm't wd 0: the lever 24 by the pin 3'3, Had an imez'mediate head 31 inn-in; adgusm'ifl-g bearing The head 31 is ac: fiyzni upon the lawn end of the axpsamfim; 21111.: 29 and has a lutex'afl uutiet c'mmmmw'd' with a who 3? comwcfiing with hi1 bvhw Hm avatar level. This imxd 3i 1m:mryiimlr 1 hou: or socketfilin as hid: lousukv its a stud 2H- cunymg the pin 33 and by which it is hinged The 2d '54- .is pmvided 1MP}; rmww brawl and upon 1mg mt 3:1 and a jam m1: tm iwiu 3% in. the hmd a: nut 535 receives the 1m: KQh-e ncfiun 0f the V7 and at iim same n-ts L4) be nicely adjusted n m 3) mg 118 as t0 maiae 0r iuwer ik by' pansion and to al'mw 1: is 010% by mmrac tion, but never holding 2; :zlosed. Tbs Said result of holding the: valve clossd is parformed b the welghmd Revel 254: or Rs aquivalent, sue asby the subsaitut-ian of a aming for the Weight 26.

Th; expausim: $231355: arran 1 Iiqueiy the nut gilt *FI' and wire weight and strains am suppuvted ran-:1 mined by the vah'zz satz'uatuw an emig-ety. Tbs shm'i and mi Hm imuar 524 waved w war. s s as-to anabiae 111a cz'u'amaaticezs with wpansian tubs and a, lung: lie; mge am the (31% apcmt-i n and, In yww' a. I Prefer ihat the: mew-en In of the Jam; satem 18 shall be appmximatgiy six hm 5: the

flu; expsmion tuba m"; imam miativ 351m axpanaivn take 0'2 md and Wimmenmm securei i far sis-21:: ef EH35; Eagiiimn wa imif (If an imtiL Vilaen is da m hc--ai I'm Qmised "-x ha-az. n' 5.35;; aiufimg be); 39 axwzumi 3,445 waive gm "i 5, 'h a Sever as liiwi at iia xwighted and the. hinggd locating arm flamed ug: to port xt wmpemriiy 3 is the Water a) 1m: Qf the baiia: 2 and is conmeeted at imbattezxz. 5:3 :1, gvi-p's M h the boiim? below ihe water aiw with tbs pipe 33 cmmectmg with the Emwar head 31 of the expansion tube 29. The up per part of the water winmn 3 is cmmpcbad with the sstmam space of the beiier hi the pipe 4. The usual gaga cocks may ar ranged 12 on we Water miumna From th s water ('0 2mm M 12- :mrmai water lavei, there extends a pipe 36 which Tiaads m and mmnevts with the chambar of the head 28 ai the top 0f the expansion zuba my} by which steam e capes into the expansiim tube whenever the ie've'i cf the in the boiler fa'lis beiow the normal water have! and permits; m m an 4 6w add 111%;

The ex mm on Lube aimnid iwzated above the waiw 1 21* w hawzz in Fi i an that it may drain. intn thaw boiivz" hammer the Water I???) 01' the imilm' fafit; balm/v the :mrmai 0r main kwc i. T0 secum this mngeme'nt 3: me EiJZPIfQTiJUEi": i0 11min 153 a feed water pipe; in whivh i115 wl' se isimmsd t0 Loni; the QQFXKHEZ water W81 0;? the bailmu In chose (@505 where this 1? MA: pmsizinie X provide a modififid arrzmgem ent as shown in F igs. 5 and 6 and m be described hater on,

The feed water pump 6 is supplied with steam by a pipe 39 having a pump go'vernoi 40 to control its time of operation.- This pump governor com risesa balanced throttle valve 51 operated y a piston 41, working in a cylinder 50, and normally opened by the boiler pressure supplemente by a counter weight 42. The cylinder 50below the piston is connected by a pipe 44 with the feed water pipe 9 and the upper end of the cylinder above the piston is connected by pipe 43 with the feed water pipe 7 between the pump and valve 8. It will now be understood that ifthe valve 8 is closed, the pump will increase the pressure in the pi e 7 until it reaches, for exam le, 20 poun s above the boiler pressure an this is expended in forcing the piston 41 down against the combined action of the boiler ressure and counter weight 42 and closes tlie supply of steam to the pump, thereby causing it to sto 0 er ating. The water in the boiler woul w en the pump is stopped, be fully supplied and hence both pipes 36 and 37 will be water sealed and when the steam in the expansion (29) tube is condensed, said tube will also be full of water, and in contracted condition, permitting the wei hted lever 24, through the stem 18 to hold t e valve 8 closed a ainst the pump pressure in the pipe 7. Shou d the water level in the boiler become lowered so as to permit steam to enter the lower end of the pipe 36. then the said pipe, as well as the expansion tube 29, will drain and become filled with steam. This will cause the tube 29 to expand and oscillate the lever'24, re-

moving the pressure which it had been exerting upon the valve 8. As soon as this takes place, the pressure in the pipe 7 is re duced to that of the boiler, so that the pres sures above and below the pump governor piston 41 become equal and the counterweight 42 then moves the steam valve to admit'steam to the pump, whereby it starts into action and delivers water into the boiler. The pump continues to operate until, when the normal water level is reached and the pipe 36 becomes water sealed, the expansion tube 29 is made to contract and once more releases the weighted lever 24 and enables it to close the valve 8, after which, the pressure in pipe 7 increases and the pump governor once more operates to shut ofi' steam to'thc pump and stop it. \Vhere there are a plurality of boilers, they each have a valve 8 and thermostatic controlling devices, but the same pump may supply water to all of the boilers automatically and in accord with their separate demands.

In those cases where it not convenient to have the feed water pipe at a high elevation as in Fig. l, I provide an independent support for the thermostatic element to sustain it at a higher elevation than the water let, 0" he boiler, and connect it by a chain with theyalve proper at a lower elevation as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. In this construction the bracket 45 may be supported from the wall, boiler or any part of the building and the yoke 16 of the thermostatic elementis clam ed upon its free end by a bolt 47. Instead of being swiveled upon the neck of the valve bonnet as in Fig. 2, it is swiveled upon the neck 46 of the bracket and held in adjusted position by the washer 46" and the bolt 47. By this construction the yoke may be adjusted about the neck 46 as a center and thereby throw the lever 24" in any direction desired to cooperate with the lever 24 of the valve 8 on the feed water ipe. It will be observed that the valve in ig. 5 is the same as in Fig. 2 except that the thermostatic features for operating the lever 24 are omitted and likewise the thermostatic element in Fig. .5 only differs from Fig. 2 in not havin the valve 8 and its connections with the Fever 24. The lever 24 is connected with the lever 24 by a chain 48 which has an adjusting screw swivel 49 to rovide the roper adjustable connection etween the evers 24 and 24. The connection of the expansion element 29 with the boiler and the control of the pump is the same as in Fig. 1 and will need no further explanation.

As the yoke 16 of the valve 8 may be adjusted about its bonnet through 380 degrees and as the same is true of the similar yoke of the thermostatic element with respect to the neck 46 of the bracket, it is evident that these parts may always be so arranged as to enable the levers 24' and 24 to be connected by the chain 48 to com ensate for any reasonable displacement of the valve 8 to the thermostatic element with respect to a vertical line through it.

It is to be understood that the modification shown in Fig. 5 does not operate differently from the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for in this case the lifting of the lever 24 by the action of the ex ansion tube 29 lifts the lever 24 through t e chain 48, the said lever 24' and the chain 48 bein a means of connection between the adjusta le bearing 32 and the lever 24 from a distance instead of a direct connection as in Fig. 2.

The operation of the a paratus, when arranged as in Fig. 5, is t e same as that already described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2, only in this case the weighted lever 24 is operated by the expansion element 29 through an additional lever 24' and the chain 48, thereby permitting the valve and thermostat to be arranged at greatly separated points of elevation. By use of the features herein set out, the general constructlon of the apparatus may be the same for all uses and the valve and thermostat used together'or in separated forms to suit the requirements of the feed water piping of rail for iirectly operating it, and. moreover, the semi motive devices are controlled by the over tion of two pipes one leazling from the til/ HRH space of the boiler anti the other from the boiler at the normal water level and said latter being alternately filled with water and steam, the operation being such, that when the water level in the boiler below tde normal level, both pipes are in oommiinieation with-the steam space of the boiler ami the motive devices operate to open the feed water control valve and when the wet-e1. level in the boiler 18 above the iormnl level, one of the pipes ins in (6311i mnnioetion with the steam anti the other with the water space of the boi er and the zmiiive devices operate to eloee the feed Water controi valve The valve is thereby peaitivelv eontrolled by the water 'ievol in the boiler and by the conditions existing in the two pipes leading therefrom to the mo tire devices for the feed water control valve This valve is at 1111 times reeponsive to the water ievel in the boiler and. is not. looked at any time agninst operation While for convenienceof manufacture l have preferred to make the valve stem 18 separable from the valve l-E M, such imle pendence is not at all necessary so far the rontrol of the valve per w is oohcerneti The advantage secured by the indepemienee lies in the fact that the smiling box 19 away he more easil packed Without dieiurbing the veive itseli on its seat during the opera.- tion of the boiler, and in the case of fill ing the boiler with water before steam generated the valve 123 1 1 may be used as? an unloaded check vaivr tn avoid exce pumping pressure. I

l have shown imv improvements in the form which I (flI IlSilkfiI' he st suited to the re piireniei is of oommeiomi pmvtiee and, whil I prefer the construction ElilUWi'l, "2" tie not .1 atrial; or confine myself to the ilelaiis theta? as they may he modified in various: ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I Llaim es new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is:

1. in a feed Wfl'ii! regulator for steam 1,1 rigaae lioilerflvthe oomlaination of a valve body having a valve for controlling the feed wntei; a weighted lever continually tending to ciose the valve under constant pressure withmit locking the same in closed osition, evoke secured to the valve body an adjustnhle about a vertical axis through the valve, a thermostat having its upper end fixedly eupported by the yoke and having an exansihie member provided with a movable jiower end for operating the lever against the action of the weight, a steam boiler, a water j supply pipe in which the valve is located, a f steam pipe connecting the lower end of the expansible member with the boiler below the Waier level 'fge connecting the upper end of the expo 'ole member with the boiler at the normal W i level. thereof, a pump for hug-plying: preesi in $316055 of the boiler prom re tethe supply pipe, and :iutoxnatio controlling devises to control the operation of the pump in communication with the supply pi ie on on ite sides of the VillVe.

A. in a toe: Water reguixitor for steam having iivalve for controlling the feed viz-item :1 weighted lever for inosing the valve, ii yoke swnreii to the valve body, and a npporleai h the yoke coneisting of mallard and en '22:; marble member (lento for putting the pump into and out operation itroiled s of ihe valve w i u or regulator, the combine ioiier 515 i fo 5 water pipe, a valve r pipe and having rent areas and havbetween the beats and a sec-' coniaminication with opposite a seats, a double eheck valve haviieces of iiliiii'ereiit arm iv-iy' swat upon the two i wh rl) illiiifllYQ: piece of i 011 is against the boiler preathe valve pieces upon Y oil? :1 weighted lever, il wi ii ti val e hooy and 811' imezircl supporteci y 1 who connected at one ing :1- chanimj on ii Miami r through the valve, and an amomatl'z by the pressuresviurd and at the other end to 1 for six plying steam or water to the expansion tn an a. sup ly pipe delivering water to the valve y tween the valve seats at a pressure in excess of the boiler pressure.

4. In a feed water regulator, a valve Jody and valve piece, a yoke carried by the valve body, a weighted lever pivoted to the yoke for operating the valve piece, a standard supported by the yoke, a thermostatic element conneyzted at one end with the standard and at the other end with the lever, and means for adjustirg the extent of action of the thermostatic element upon the lever consisting of a head 32 hinged to the lever and having a. screw threaded stud 3i sliding in the end of the thermostatic element and an adjusting abutment nut 35 against which the thermostatic lement presses when operating the lever.

53. In a feed water regulator, a valve body and, valve piece. a stem for perating tle valve, a pivoted weighted evel for depressing the stem, a thermostatic. device support ed by the valve body and having its free end pressing dov nvvard upon the weight d lever to operate it. and connecti g mean: for simultaneously adjusting the leve awl HIE! mostatic device axially about the elem and valve body and main'tainin their relative positions with respect to earn other and the valve stem.

6. In a feed water regulator, a boiler. combined with a valve body. a 1 -05, eheck valve piece therefor. a. bonnet for the body and having a neck and stuffing box, a valve operating stem extendir g through the stuffing box and independent of the valve piece, a yoke adjustably clamped upon the neck of the bonnet so as to be rotated about the stem as a center, a weighted lever hinged to the yoke and actuating the stem. means controlled by the water level of the boiler and supported by the yoke for operating the lever and means for forcing water through the ch k valve against the boiler pressure controlled by the difference in pressures on opposite sides of the valve.

7. In a feed water regulator, a valve body, a valve piece therein, a valve stern to operate the valve, a weighted lever stupor-ted by the valve body for operating the valve stem to (lose the valve piece upon its seat, a thermostatic device arranged about the valve body having its free end pressing upon the lever for permitting the valve to open, and

conn cting means betvveen the thermostatic d v ce and Weighted lever to which they are attached said means being adjustably clamped upon the valve body so as to be rotatable axially to the val e stem while mainmining the relative positions of the ever 'and thermostatic device with respect to each other and to the valve stem.

In testimony of which Invention, I here unto set my hand) R. M. HUNTER. Witnesses:

R. M. KELLY, E. Fanuav. 

